The unprecedented disaster of the Volga famine of 1921 caused the government of Soviet Russia to appeal the world for food aid and marked a key moment in the emergence of modern humanitarianism. The famine relief efforts in Russia were also gave rise to the production and distribution of some of the first humanitarian films, using documentary footage recorded on location, intended to appeal to spectators to donate so as to feed the starving and save lives.

By drawing on archives from Russia, Switzerland, the UK and US, this project will identify and create a production and reception history for the various films made between 1921-23 on the Russian famine and related issues. Analysing the international films alongside the Soviet ones will enable a more nuanced picture of a crucial moment in the emergence of humanitarian film and a previously neglected chapter in Soviet film history.

SRG2021\210781